Four cases of wild poliovirus (polio) were confirmed in Somalia in May. These are the first cases reported in Somalia since 2007, when the country was declared polio free. Millions of children across Somalia are now at risk of contracting the disease especially in areas of South Central where polio vaccinations have not been carried out in the last three years.

More than a million affected by the conflict in Sa'ada Governorate since 2004 with about 226,830 people in need of humanitarian assistance in 2013. In addition, there are about 15,000 to 25,000 stranded migrants living in and around Haradh and Sa'ada.

The total number of displaced people in Yemen decreased from 344,000 in March to 299,000 in April 2013. This partly resulted from a considerable increase in returns to Sa'ada (32,927 returnees) and Abyan Governorates (16,253) for the month of April. The IDPs are going back home because of improved overall security, resumption of basic services and the scaling up of humanitarian activities by various organizations. In the north, migrants from the Horn of Africa continue to face harrowing conditions. Compared to 2011 and 2012, the number arrivals is almost the same.

Overview

Period covered by this report: 15 August – 31 October, 2012

Summary: CHF 276,447 was allocated from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on 8th June, 2012 to support the Yemen Red Crescent Society to carry out assessments of food insecure Communities, and to deliver assistance and provide health awareness messaging to some 16,000 persons affected by the current food insecurity situation.

The food security situation in Yemen is at crisis levels and there is a need for scaled up action.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

• On May 16, U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator (RC/HC) Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed warned that Yemen’s long-standing humanitarian crisis threatens to undermine recent moves toward political stability. RC/HC Ahmed called for increased support for humanitarian organizations, which continue to scale up efforts to meet the needs of IDPs, host communities, returnees, and other displaced populations.

The next outbreak response campaign in Somalia will target 3.1 million children. In Kenya, an initial 1.7 million children will be immunised, followed by larger-­scale programme to reach 4.3 million children.

Situation overview